Rainbow Dash Brings the Blitz
My Little Pony: Equestria Girls: Canterlot High Stories: Rainbow Dash Brings the Blitz by Arden Hayes is the thirty-fifth book in a series of chapter books published by Little, Brown and Company and the first entry in the "Canterlot High Stories" series. In this book, Rainbow Dash challenges Blitzball champion Comet Chaser when he starts a Blitzball league at Canterlot High School and forbids girls from joining. Summary Tricky Tryouts The story begins at Rainbow Dash's house, where Rainbow and her friends have gathered to watch the championship Blitzball game between the Beehive Blitzers—Rainbow's favorite team—and BlitzBoom. The Beehive Blitzers win, and Rainbow and Applejack jump for joy, with some of their friends getting in on the excitement as well. When the Blitzball viewing party ends, Blitzball is all Rainbow can think about before going to bed. The following Monday, Rainbow talks to everyone she sees about the championship game, including classmate and fellow Blitzers fan Forest Thunder. Principal Celestia announces over the school loudspeakers that Comet Chaser, the Beehive Blitzers' head coach, is starting a Blitzball high school league program and will be holding team tryouts at CHS on Friday. Rainbow Dash is beyond excited by this news, and her friends help her practice for the tryouts. On the night before tryouts, she is nervous about impressing Comet and making the team, but Applejack assures her that she is more than ready. On Friday, Comet Chaser arrives and holds tryouts for CHS' Blitzball team, on which there are only ten spots out of a pool of over twenty candidates. Among all the players trying out for the team, Rainbow Dash impresses Comet the most; not only does she get the last spot on the team, she is also named the MVP for the day. However, when she removes her helmet and reveals that she is a girl, Comet Chaser gets upset and points out that Blitzball has always been a male-only sport. Despite Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna arguing that Comet never made such a stipulation before tryouts started and Forest Thunder sticking up for Rainbow Dash, Comet refuses to bend on tradition and gives Rainbow's spot on the team to someone else. Rainbow Dash's friends voice their outrage at the unfairness of Comet's decision, but Rainbow says she has an idea, and the principals agree to help in any way they can. Smarter, Faster, Fiercer On the first day of practice for Canterlot High's new Blitzball team, Rainbow Dash approaches Comet Chaser to denounce his claim that his team would be weaker with female players. To prove her point, she challenges him to a game of girls against boys. If she wins, Comet would have to let her join the team and help her start a program at CHS for other girls to join as well. Despite objections from Forest Thunder that Rainbow should already be on the team, Comet accepts the challenge and sets a date for their scrimmage in two weeks. As Rainbow's friends wonder where she is going to find six other players for the girls' team, Rainbow says she already has a team: her friends. Some time later, Rainbow Dash trains her friends for the upcoming game, with Vice Principal Luna serving as an unofficial coach, but their playing is disorganized and amateurish. Rarity was more concerned about her outfit than with the game, Twilight Sparkle was more concerned about losing and breaking her glasses, Fluttershy was too timid to try and steal the ball from the others, and Pinkie Pie was just goofing off trying to make the others laugh. Luna assures Rainbow that they just need time to improve, recalling that CHS' first Friendship Games were what first introduced her to the love of sports. After practice ends, Rainbow is still hopeful that they will be ready in time for the scrimmage, but Applejack informs her of rumors that the boys' team has been doing two practices every day—one after school and one at night. That night, Rainbow Dash and Applejack sneak back to the school to investigate. There, they discover that the rumor about the boys' team's night practices is correct and that they are very skilled players. Considering their own team's lack of improvement and the scrimmage is only a week and a half away, Rainbow and Applejack start to have doubts that they will win. Breaking Points The next day during practice, Rainbow Dash and Applejack introduce a bunch of special plays for their team to practice and master in order to give them a competitive edge. Their signature move is a Hail Mary play called the "colossus", reserved for a final last-resort play with only seconds left in the game. By the following Monday, Rainbow's friends' lack of improvement starts to frustrate her. Fluttershy is still too afraid to steal the ball, thinking that it is mean to do so, Rarity continues to fidget with her outfit, Pinkie continues to goof off, and Twilight keeps trying to protect her glasses. In addition, they still have yet to run the "colossus" play successfully. Eventually, Rainbow's frustration causes her to snap at her friends and accuse them of not taking things seriously, and she storms off. At the front of the school, Rainbow laments the possibility of losing to Comet Chaser in front of the whole school and letting down all the girls who want to play Blitzball. Vice Principal Luna joins her, and Rainbow Dash shares her concerns. Luna tells Rainbow that Comet should not have put her in this position in the first place and expresses how proud she is of Rainbow for standing up to unfairness. At Luna's urging, Rainbow Dash goes back to apologize to her friends, but they have already left and gone home. Friends and Teammates The next day at school, Rainbow Dash tries several times to apologize to her friends, but she gets interrupted or inconvenienced each time. In addition, students—mostly girls—approach her throughout the day asking about the new girls-inclusive Blitzball program. At the end of the day, Rainbow goes to practice expecting none of her friends to show up. However, not only do all of her friends show up, but they are also wearing matching outfits and running successful plays. Thanks to Applejack's private late-night coaching, Twilight has protective covering for her glasses, Rarity is no longer concerned so much about her outfit, and Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie are playing with more seriousness. Rainbow Dash apologizes to her friends for snapping at them and says no matter what happens in the upcoming game, she will be happy as long as they try their best. The other girls, however, are not satisfied with simply trying their best and resolve to win. Game Changer On the day of the boys/girls game, dozens of CHS students have filled the stands to watch, and Rainbow Dash and her friends—calling themselves the GlitzyBlitzers—are confident that they now have what it takes to win. As the game gets underway, Rainbow notices Forest Thunder looking severely fatigued, and the GlitzyBlitzers quickly score the first point. When the boys have the ball, the girls effortlessly steal it from them and score again. Between plays, Rainbow overhears Comet Chaser angrily berating his team and sees the boys looking very sluggish. When the score is 15–3 and Comet calls a time-out, Rainbow finally gets a chance to talk to Forest Thunder and find out what's going on. Forest explains that because of the two practices a day for two weeks straight, he and his team are utterly exhausted. Comet is forcing them to play like professional Blitzball players, and a few of them are considering quitting the team when the game is over. Rainbow Dash, believing players shouldn't be forced to play in a way they don't want to, suggests they forfeit the game together and declare a tie. They approach the referee—biology teacher Orange Haze—with this decision, but Comet Chaser stops them. Comet refuses to forfeit the game, but his team stands against him and quits. Infuriated by his team's decision, Comet leaves. While Celestia and Luna are proud of the students for standing up for themselves, the students fear their chances of playing in a high school Blitzball league have been ruined. Luckily, Orange Haze suggests establishing an unofficial league within CHS and offers to coach one of the teams. Celestia and Luna decide to offer it as an intramural sport, and the idea is met with overwhelming approval from the players and students. Coed Harmony Some time later, CHS' intramural Blitzball league sees great success with both girls and boys included. Rainbow Dash and her friends have split up the GlitzyBlitzers and teamed up with a few boys to form two new teams: Rainbow Dash's Zips and Sunset Shimmer's Slammers. On the night before a game between the Zips and the Slammers, Rainbow invites everyone to a party at a pasta restaurant in the city. Forest Thunder arrives to the party with a copy of the Canterlot Gazette, which includes a news article about Rainbow Dash spearheading the school's coed Blitzball league. The next day, hundreds of people from all over Canterlot City gather to watch the Zips/Slammers game, and Rainbow Dash notices Comet Chaser sitting in the back row of the stands. During the game's halftime, Comet approaches Rainbow and, after watching the two teams play so hard and skillfully, admits he was wrong. He announces that he is going to start that Blitzball training program they talked about, much to Rainbow and her friends' delight. In the last play of the game, Rainbow Dash works together with Forest Thunder to score the winning point. Quotes :Rainbow Dash: The only sad thing is I have to wait a whole eight months before the season starts again. What am I going to do with my weekends until then? :Twilight Sparkle: You can hang out with us. We'll be happy to have you back. :Rainbow Dash: Was it really that bad? :Fluttershy: We've barely seen you in the last two months! :Twilight Sparkle: Comet Chaser is coming to our school! He's starting a program to create a Blitzball high school league! :Rainbow Dash: Comet, the head coach of the Beehive Blitzers? The first Blitzball player to win MVP in the league? The reason the Blitzers won this season? One of the toughest players the sport has ever known? :Applejack: Amazin'! Twenty-eight seconds! You broke your record! :Rainbow Dash: Think I'm ready? :Applejack: Think? I don't think you're ready; I know you are. :Rainbow Dash: I wonder who else is going to be there.... :Applejack: There was a rumor that Forest Thunder is tryin' out, too. But other than that, I don't know. :Rainbow Dash: He's really nice. He's nice, which is why it'll be sad when I trounce him tomorrow. :Comet Chaser: Blitzball is a game of passion. You have to be quick, you have to be slick, but above all you have to have heart. No one can win this game without fierce determination. That's what I'm looking for here today. I wanted to start a high school Blitzball league because I thought there'd be a lot of young talent, hidden talent, in high schools across this city. I hope you all prove me right. :Principal Celestia: You never said the high school league would be only boys.... :Comet Chaser: Well I didn't say that because I thought it was obvious! Blitzball has always been an all-male sport. In the twenty-year history of the game, there's never been a female player. :Vice Principal Luna: Well, you said it yourself. Rainbow Dash was the MVP of tryouts. Don't you think it's time for a change? :Forest Thunder: It's not fair, though. If you never said it was a rule, then she never broke the rule. We'd be lucky to have her on the team, you— :Comet Chaser: Enough. This is not up for debate. :Rainbow Dash: You said you couldn't allow a girl in the high school Blitzball league. But what if your team was stronger with one? Or three? Or coed, with half girls and half boys? :Comet Chaser: Please. I don't mean to offend you, but we've already had this discussion. A coed team just doesn't make sense. The sport has always been all men. :Twilight Sparkle: So you're absolutely certain your team wouldn't be stronger with a few female players? :Comet Chaser: Yeah, I guess I am. :Rainbow Dash: Then we challenge you to a game. :Forest Thunder: We shouldn't even be having this conversation. She was the MVP of tryouts, remember? She deserves to be on the team. :Comet Chaser: Rules are rules. :Rainbow Dash: What's that old saying? Rules are meant to be broken. :Sunset Shimmer: I think he likes you.... :Rainbow Dash: Who likes who? :Applejack: You, silly. :Rainbow Dash: I think you're imagining it. :Rarity: Where are you going to find six other players for the girls' team? :Rainbow Dash: I have my players right here. :Rarity: You're counting me? :Applejack: Well, call me a moldy apple, because there's no way we're not gettin' squished! :Rainbow Dash: The game is coming up in no time! We're nowhere close to ready. Forget a training program—we're going to make complete fools of ourselves. Why can't you take this seriously?! :Vice Principal Luna: I'm proud of you, that's all. You stood up for yourself. And you stood up to someone who was treating you unfairly. That's really something. :Rainbow Dash: Thanks. :Rainbow Dash: I want you to know, no matter what happens on Friday, I'm really lucky to have you all as friends. Some of you hadn't even touched a Blitzball before last week. As long as we give it our all and try our best, I'll be happy with however it turns out. :Pinkie Pie: We're not going to just try our best. We're going to win! :Equestria Girls: Go, GlitzyBlitzers! :Comet Chaser: We're not calling anything. I don't call games. :Forest Thunder: But I'm the captain. And I do. We're burned out, and no one wants to play anymore anyway. This is not some professional league where we're getting paid millions of dollars. This was supposed to be fun. :Ivory: Yeah, we quit. If this is what Blitzball is about, I don't want to be in the league. :Comet Chaser: I don't coach quitters. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and you're going to be very sorry you passed it up. :Rainbow Dash: We were talking about going over to Tomato Pie around eight. We wanted to get some pasta before the big game. Like, an unofficial pasta party. All our friends are meeting us there. :Ivory: A pasta party? :Applejack: If you eat lots of carbs before a big game, it's supposed to give you extra energy. :Ivory: It'll be like the opposite of last time. :Forest Thunder: Yeah, we'll definitely be there. Save a seat for us! :Rarity: Rainbow Dash He definitely likes you. :Rainbow Dash: reading "Since its debut twenty years ago, Blitzball has always been an all-male sport. I'm a person who believes in tradition. I wasn't going to compromise or cave to pressure." Wow, he still thinks he's right, huh? :Forest Thunder: Read the quote from Vice Principal Luna. :Rarity: reading "Rainbow Dash embodies what we want our students to be. She inspires others to do their best and to not take no for an answer, no matter where that no comes from." :Vice Principal Luna: I'd say, 'Make me proud.' But I'm already so proud of you all. So I guess... make me prouder! :Comet Chaser: It's more fun. And someone really smart once told me that was what Blitzball was all about. :Forest Thunder: This should be it. We're only one more goal away from winning. You should do the honors.... :Rainbow Dash: Should we do the "whizby"? :Forest Thunder: Let's do it. :Rainbow Dash: Did we make you prouder? :Vice Principal Luna: The proudest. Category:Equestria Girls